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This document guides the cloud users how to create a basic Virtual Machine (VM) instance, configure remote access, and attach external datastore.

Step 1. Log in to Cloud Dashboard & External Datastore

• (Fig. 1-1) Log in to Cloud Dashboard with the provided account information
• (Fig. 1-2) Also confirm the same account information works for External Datastore

Step 2. Import Public Key or Create a Key Pair 

• (Fig. 2-1) Go to Project → Compute → Key Pairs of Cloud Dashboard main menu.
• Import the SSH public key (same one you registered during which you pasted to the account sign-up form) or create Create another key pair.
• It is recommended to set the Key Pair Name identical to your Cloud username.

Step 3. Create a VM instance

• (Fig. 3-A) Go to Project → Cluster Infra → KASI Cluster Templates menu.

• (Fig. 3-B) Find KASI-SingleVM template and click Lauch Cluster Stack button. Choose Next to go to Launch Cluster menu.

• (Fig. 3-C) Put a Stack Name and the Password for user. Select an OS Image (e.g., ubuntu-20.04-cloudimg), Flavor (e.g., C2M2D20 = 2 CPUs, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB OS drive), Network (default: kasi-user-network), and SSH Keys.

• Put a Temporary one-time password for root account, and click Launch button.

  Info
  WARNING: The intial password may be exposed to other users. You MUST change the password to a secure one right after logging in to the console for the first - time.

  
  

Step 4. Configure the VM instance for remote desktop & external datastore

• (Fig. 4-A) Go to Project → Compute → Instances menu, and check your VM instance is Running in Power State. From the Actions drop-down list, choose Console.

• (Fig. 4-B) Click on the black console screen, and type in root as username and temporary password you set in the previous step.

• Change the root password and update the OS. Create a user account (recommended). Install desktop environment and remote desktop server.

  Code Block
  language bash theme Midnight title (Cmd. 4-1) configure VM instance : remote desktop linenumbers true
  ### Change root password $ passwd ### Update OS $ apt update && apt -y dist-upgrade ### Create a user account (recommended) : adduser {username} $ adduser kasi-user ### Grant sudo privilege to the user : usermod -aG sudo {username} $ usermod -aG sudo kasi-user ### Install dekstop environment (minimal installation is recommended) $ apt -y install xfce4 --no-install-recommends ### Install remote desktop server (RDP) $ apt -y install xrdp ### Reboot $ reboot

  
  

• (Fig. 4-C) After reboot, log in to the console with the user account, and configure SMB client to mount user's external datastore.

  Code Block
  language bash theme Midnight title (Cmd. 4-2) configure VM instance : external datastore linenumbers true
  ### Install required pacakges : cifs-utils, smbclient $ sudo apt -y install cifs-utils smbclient ### Create a mount directory $ mkdir NAS ### Mount external datastore : mount.cifs -o rw,uid={user id},gid={localgroup userid},username={NAS user} {NAS address} {mount directory} $ sudo mount.cifs -o rw,uid=kasi-user,gid=kasi-user,username=kasi-user //210.219.33.249/home NAS ### For more mount options : man mount.cifs ### Check if external datastore is mounted and the user has write permission $ df -H ; ls -l ### DO NOT forget to log out $ exit

  
  

  Info
  You can also mount the external datastore to your local desktop as a network drive : e.g., \\210.219.33.249\home (Windows file manager, address bar), smb://210.219.33.249/home (macOS finder, Go → Connect to Server)

  
  

  Info
  WARNING: NEVER leave the console screen logged in. Other users CAN access your console.

  
  

Step 5. Remote access to VM instances via SSH tunneling

• Prepare the SSH keys (the same ones you registered in sign-up form). If you want to use another key pair for remote access, e-mail the SSH public key file to Administrator(chr@kasi.re.kr).

• (Fig. 5-A) Go to Project → Compute → Instances menu, and find from the instance list :
  • private IP address (e.g., 10.0.X.X) of your VM instance
  • public IP address (e.g., 210.219.33.X) of project gateway (e.g., User Project Gateway)
  from the instance list.

• Install Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client software to your local computer, and set up the remote connection.

  • (Fig. 5-B) If RDP clients support SSH tunneling – remmina (Linux), MobaXterm (Windows), configure RDP session as follows:
    • Remote host address (10.0.X.X) : VM instance private IP (port 3389)
    • Remote host username : user account you created (root is NOT recommended)
    • SSH gateway address (210.219.33.X) : project gateway public IP (port 7774)
    • SSH gateway username : kasi

  • If RDP clients do not support tunneling – CoRD (Mac), Microsoft Remote Desktop (Mac), create a SSH tunneling port in your local desktop first, and connect through the local tunneling port. 

    • SSH tunnel should be kept alive during remote access (i.e., do NOT interrupt the ssh command or close the terminal)

      Code Block
      language bash theme Midnight title (Cmd. 5-1) create local RDP port for SSH tunnel linenumbers true
      ### SSH tunneling : ssh -i {private key} -N -L {local RDP port}:{VM instance private ip}:{RDP port = 3389} {tunneling id = kasi}@{gateway ip} -p {ssh port = 7774} ### Local RDP port is set to 12345 for the following example, but you can use different port number $ ssh -N -L 12345:10.0.100.42:3389 kasi@210.219.33.122 -p 7774 ### Open RDP

    connection through localhost:{local RDP port}

    • client (e.g., Microsoft Remote Desktop) and set the server address to localhost:12345, or use command (e.g, CoRD) : $ open rdp://localhost:12345

      
      

• (Fig. 5-C) Connect to the RDP host. If everthing (e.g., desktop environment, external datastore,...) works fine, you're all set.

  
  

Step 6. Shut off (or Delete) Instance when you're done

• If your Shut off Instance, once your daily activities are over and VM instance is to remain idle for a while, be kind to release CPU/RAM resources for the next user ::
  • by the shell command (e.g.,
  • from Command line : $ sudo poweroff) or 
  • or from Dashboard (Fig. 6-A) by Dashboard action : Shut off Instance from the Actions drop-down list (Project → Compute → Instances menu)
  • OS drive of the VM will be saved and can be restarted anytime by choosing Start Instance from the Actions drop-down list.
• If Delete Instance, if you do not want to keep the VM instance anymore, 's resources anymore :
  • (Fig. 6-B) choose Delete Instance from the Actions drop-down list
  (Fig
  • .
  6-B)
  • OS drive of the VM will be erased and you have to re-create the VM instance from Step 3 above.

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